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.It s a start, just getting accustomed to that, and it isn t easy, but anysettlers will have to be people like us, who ve shown we can leave a City. And you want me in this group? Amy asked. I thought you might be interested.We could use more recruits, and youngerpeople seem to adapt more quickly.Just think of it--if we do get to leaveEarth, every single settler will be needed, every person will be important anduseful.We ll need people willing to gamble on a new life, individualists whowant to make a mark, maybe even folks who are just a little antisocial as longas they can cooperate with others.You could be one of them, Amy. If you ever leave. Shakira smiled. What have you got to lose by trying? She paused. Do youhave any idea of how precarious life inside this City is? How much moreuranium can we get for our power plants? Think of all the power we have to usejust to bring in water and get rid of waste.Just imagine what would happen ifthe air were cut off even for an hour or two--people would die by the hundredsof thousands.We ll have to leave theCities.They can t keep growing indefinitely without taking up land we needfor farming or forests we need for pulp.There ll be less food, less space,less of everything, until-- Amy looked away for a moment.Her mother had said the same thing to her. There isn t a future here, Amy. Shakira moved closer to her. There mightbe one for us on other worlds. Amy sighed. What a few people do won t make any difference. It s a beginning, and if we succeed, others will follow.You seemed to thinkwhat you did was important when you were only running the strips. The youngwoman beckoned to her. Here s my challenge for you.I m asking you if you IIcome Outside with me. With those people? Right now.Surely a strip-runner who used to risk life and limb isn t afraidof a little open air. But-- Come on. She followed Shakira down the street, helpless to resist.The woman stopped infront of an opening in the high walls.Amy peered around her and saw a long,Page 18 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmldimly lit tunnel with another wall at its end. What is it? Amy asked. An exit.Some of them are guarded now, but this one isn t.There really isn tany need to watch them--most people don t know about them or don t want tothink about them.Even the people living in this subsection have probablyforgotten this exit is here.Will you come with me? What if somebody follows us? Amy glanced nervously down the street, whichseemed even emptier than before. It isn t safe. Believe me, nobody will follow.They d rather believe this place doesn texist.Will you come? Amy swallowed hard, then nodded.It was only a passageway; it couldn t be thatbad.They entered;she kept close to the young woman as the familiar, comforting noise of thestreet behind them grew fainter.Shakira said, The exit s at the end. Her voice sounded hollow in the eeriesilence.Amy s stomach knotted as they came to the end of the tunnel. Ready? Shakira asked. I think So. Hang on to me.It ll be dark Outside--that ll make it easier for you, and Iwon t let go. Shakira pressed her hand against the wall.An opening slowly appeared.Amyfelt cold air on her face; as they stepped Outside, the door closed behindthem.She closed her eyes, terrified to look, already longing for the warmthand safety of the City.A gust of wind slapped her, fiercer than the wind on the fastest strips.Sheopened her eyes and looked up.A black sky dotted with stars was above her,and that bright pearly orb had to be the moon.Except for the wind and thebone-chilling cold, she might almost have been inside a City planetarium.Butthe planetarium had not revealed how vast the sky was, or shown the silveryclouds that drifted below the black heavens.She lowered her gaze; abluish-white plain, empty except for the distant domes of a farm, stretched infront of her.Her ears throbbed at the silence that was broken only by theintermittent howl of the wind.Open air--and the white substance covering the ground had to be snow.The windgusted again, lifting a thin white veil of flakes, then died.There was spaceall around her, unfiltered air, dirt under her feet, and the moon shining downon all of it; the safety of walls was gone.Her stomach lurched as her heartpounded; her head swam.Her grip on Shakira loosened; the pale plain wasspinning.Then she was falling through the endless silence into a darkness asblack as the sky.Arms caught her, lifting her up; she felt warmth at her back.The silence wasgone.She clawed at the air and realized she was back inside the tunnel.Sheblinked; her mouth was dry. Are you all right? Shakira felt her forehead; Amy leaned heavily against her. I got you insideas fast as I could.I m sorry--Iforgot there d be a full moon tonight.It would have been easier for you if ithad been completely dark. Amy trembled, afraid to let go. I didn t know, she said. I didn t think-- She shivered with relief, welcoming the warmth, the faint but steady noisefrom the street, the walls of the City.She tried to smile. Guess I didn t do so well. But you did.The first time I went Outside, I passed out right after takingmy first breath of open air.The second time, I ran back inside after a few seconds and swore I d never setfoot Outside again.You did a lot better than that--I was counting.We musthave been standing there for nearly two minutes. Shakira supported her with one arm; they made their way slowly toward thestreet. Can you walk by yourself? the woman asked as they left the tunnel.Page 19 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html I think so. Shakira let go.Amy stared down the street, which had seemed soempty earlier, relieved at the sight of all the people. I couldn t do thatagain, Shakira.I couldn t face it--all that space. I think you can. Shakira folded her arms. You can if you don t give up now.We ll be goingOutside in two days.You ll have to wear more clothes--it d help if you canget gloves and a hat. Amy shook her head, struck by the strangeness ofneeding warmer clothes; the temperature inside never varied [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.It s a start, just getting accustomed to that, and it isn t easy, but anysettlers will have to be people like us, who ve shown we can leave a City. And you want me in this group? Amy asked. I thought you might be interested.We could use more recruits, and youngerpeople seem to adapt more quickly.Just think of it--if we do get to leaveEarth, every single settler will be needed, every person will be important anduseful.We ll need people willing to gamble on a new life, individualists whowant to make a mark, maybe even folks who are just a little antisocial as longas they can cooperate with others.You could be one of them, Amy. If you ever leave. Shakira smiled. What have you got to lose by trying? She paused. Do youhave any idea of how precarious life inside this City is? How much moreuranium can we get for our power plants? Think of all the power we have to usejust to bring in water and get rid of waste.Just imagine what would happen ifthe air were cut off even for an hour or two--people would die by the hundredsof thousands.We ll have to leave theCities.They can t keep growing indefinitely without taking up land we needfor farming or forests we need for pulp.There ll be less food, less space,less of everything, until-- Amy looked away for a moment.Her mother had said the same thing to her. There isn t a future here, Amy. Shakira moved closer to her. There mightbe one for us on other worlds. Amy sighed. What a few people do won t make any difference. It s a beginning, and if we succeed, others will follow.You seemed to thinkwhat you did was important when you were only running the strips. The youngwoman beckoned to her. Here s my challenge for you.I m asking you if you IIcome Outside with me. With those people? Right now.Surely a strip-runner who used to risk life and limb isn t afraidof a little open air. But-- Come on. She followed Shakira down the street, helpless to resist.The woman stopped infront of an opening in the high walls.Amy peered around her and saw a long,Page 18 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmldimly lit tunnel with another wall at its end. What is it? Amy asked. An exit.Some of them are guarded now, but this one isn t.There really isn tany need to watch them--most people don t know about them or don t want tothink about them.Even the people living in this subsection have probablyforgotten this exit is here.Will you come with me? What if somebody follows us? Amy glanced nervously down the street, whichseemed even emptier than before. It isn t safe. Believe me, nobody will follow.They d rather believe this place doesn texist.Will you come? Amy swallowed hard, then nodded.It was only a passageway; it couldn t be thatbad.They entered;she kept close to the young woman as the familiar, comforting noise of thestreet behind them grew fainter.Shakira said, The exit s at the end. Her voice sounded hollow in the eeriesilence.Amy s stomach knotted as they came to the end of the tunnel. Ready? Shakira asked. I think So. Hang on to me.It ll be dark Outside--that ll make it easier for you, and Iwon t let go. Shakira pressed her hand against the wall.An opening slowly appeared.Amyfelt cold air on her face; as they stepped Outside, the door closed behindthem.She closed her eyes, terrified to look, already longing for the warmthand safety of the City.A gust of wind slapped her, fiercer than the wind on the fastest strips.Sheopened her eyes and looked up.A black sky dotted with stars was above her,and that bright pearly orb had to be the moon.Except for the wind and thebone-chilling cold, she might almost have been inside a City planetarium.Butthe planetarium had not revealed how vast the sky was, or shown the silveryclouds that drifted below the black heavens.She lowered her gaze; abluish-white plain, empty except for the distant domes of a farm, stretched infront of her.Her ears throbbed at the silence that was broken only by theintermittent howl of the wind.Open air--and the white substance covering the ground had to be snow.The windgusted again, lifting a thin white veil of flakes, then died.There was spaceall around her, unfiltered air, dirt under her feet, and the moon shining downon all of it; the safety of walls was gone.Her stomach lurched as her heartpounded; her head swam.Her grip on Shakira loosened; the pale plain wasspinning.Then she was falling through the endless silence into a darkness asblack as the sky.Arms caught her, lifting her up; she felt warmth at her back.The silence wasgone.She clawed at the air and realized she was back inside the tunnel.Sheblinked; her mouth was dry. Are you all right? Shakira felt her forehead; Amy leaned heavily against her. I got you insideas fast as I could.I m sorry--Iforgot there d be a full moon tonight.It would have been easier for you if ithad been completely dark. Amy trembled, afraid to let go. I didn t know, she said. I didn t think-- She shivered with relief, welcoming the warmth, the faint but steady noisefrom the street, the walls of the City.She tried to smile. Guess I didn t do so well. But you did.The first time I went Outside, I passed out right after takingmy first breath of open air.The second time, I ran back inside after a few seconds and swore I d never setfoot Outside again.You did a lot better than that--I was counting.We musthave been standing there for nearly two minutes. Shakira supported her with one arm; they made their way slowly toward thestreet. Can you walk by yourself? the woman asked as they left the tunnel.Page 19 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html I think so. Shakira let go.Amy stared down the street, which had seemed soempty earlier, relieved at the sight of all the people. I couldn t do thatagain, Shakira.I couldn t face it--all that space. I think you can. Shakira folded her arms. You can if you don t give up now.We ll be goingOutside in two days.You ll have to wear more clothes--it d help if you canget gloves and a hat. Amy shook her head, struck by the strangeness ofneeding warmer clothes; the temperature inside never varied [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]